


Giving Them Better

by IreneADonovan



Category: X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies), X-Men (Comicverse), X-Men (Movieverse), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: #TheyDeserveBetter, AND THERE WAS ONLY ONE BED!, Alternate Universe - Modern: Still Have Powers, Beaches, Canon Disabled Character, Charles Xavier in a Wheelchair, Cherik Inktober Challenge 2019, Cuddling & Snuggling, Domesticity, Drabble Collection, Fluff, Fluff and Romance, Gay Mutant Road Trip, Kittens, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Puppies, Road Trips, Sunsets, Tetraplegic!Charles, Winter, dadneto, kiss
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-01
Updated: 2019-10-19
Packaged: 2020-11-08 22:24:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 1,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20843006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IreneADonovan/pseuds/IreneADonovan
Summary: My drabbles for the #TheyDeserveBetter Cherik Inktober Challenge 2019. Each is based on a prompt, and each is 100 words according to GoogleDocs. There will be one for each day in October, all Cherik and all fluff...





	1. Puppies

"That's no puppy," Peter insisted. "That's a werewolf."

"Is not," Wanda said. "He's too cute to be a werewolf."

"Dad'll be mad if you drag him home."

Wanda hesitated, clearly worried, then brazened it out. "So what if he is. Dad's all bark and no bite."

"You'd better hope the puppy is, too."

"He is."

"You sure?"

Wanda frowned, considering. "Even if he isn't, Charles will love him."

"And anything Charles loves, Dad loves." Peter petted the puppy.

"Yeah."

His son wasn't wrong, Erik thought as he eavesdropped on the exchange. He'd do anything for Charles. And anything for his kids.


	2. Kittens

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a part of my Parlorverse, though no real knowledge of that universe is required, save for one detail -- Charles is a tetraplegic, with only limited use of his arms.
> 
> And for this snippet, Janos was responsible for the kittens' names, and he was not particularly creative, 1-6 in Spanish.

"Kitt'n," Kurt declared as he held up the tiny ball of fluff.

"Yes, it is," Charles agreed. Cuatro, he thought, or Seis.

Kurt took the kitten, who regarded the toddler with sleepy suspicion, and held it to Charles' face to let Charles feel it. "Soft."

The downy fur tickled Charles' cheek. "Very soft."

"Seis," Kurt declared, setting the kitten on Charles' lap with exaggerated care. "Seis get lap." A high honor in Kurt's book. "Pet."

Charles stroked the kitten with unfeeling fingers. "He's lovely."

"She," Kurt corrected. "Hank say she."

"She, then."

"Seis need love."

Charles smiled softly. "We all do."


	3. Sunsets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part of my Parlorverse...

Charles was on Erik's balcony, staring at soft golds and reds of the setting sun.

Erik approached and set a hand on his shoulder. "Eight o'clock and all's well."

Charles pressed his cheek to Erik's forearm, then looked up, sapphire eyes shining softly. "All really is well, isn't it?"

"Yes." Erik massaged Charles' neck and the sensitive spots near the base of his skull.

"Mmn. Nice." Charles all but purred as he leaned into the touch.

Erik bent and kissed him, gentle but thorough.

"Even better," Charles said, after. "Take me to bed?"

"Of course." Erik lifted Charles from his chair.


	4. Beach

The beach was deserted and windswept, the boardwalk weathered and uneven under his wheels, the winter air chill and damp. And Charles' wheel rims were absolutely frigid as he halted, a gust driving icy knifeblades through his chest.

"What are we doing out here?" he demanded.

Erik looked serene in his burgundy wool coat as he dropped to one knee before Charles.

Oh. Oh!

A ring floated out of a coat pocket. "Once, we nearly ended on a beach. It's only right that we should begin again on one. And I damned well wasn't waiting for spring."


	5. Road Trip

"They only had one room," Charles said and held up the key to room #23.

"Fine." Erik grabbed the key and marched to the door. He'd been driving for hours and just wanted to sleep.

As the door swung open, he groaned to himself and said, "There's only one bed."

Charles pushed past him. "So there is."

Erik decided he was too tired to care, and he staked his claim on the side of the bed nearest the door. "I hope you don't snore," he muttered as he stretched out.

As it happened, Charles didn't snore. He did, however, snuggle.


	6. Kiss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part of my Parlorverse...

Erik picked Charles up and settled them both on the couch, Charles on his lap, held securely in place by the couch arm behind him and by Erik's arm around his shoulders.

Charles lifted one braced hand to Erik's cheek and smiled, his ruby lips plush and inviting. "Kiss me."

Gladly. He guided Charles body forward as his free hand slipped behind Charles' head, felt an electric jolt as their lips met.

The kiss began gently, then deepened to something primal, fierce, demanding, almost savage. Charles put his whole being into a kiss and challenged Erik to match him.

Perfection.


	7. Cuddles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Parlorverse.

Erik was snuggled up against Charles, as had become their habit after dinner. His left arm was slung around Charles' shoulders, his right hand held the tumbler of scotch they were sharing, and a half-completed chess match was laid out on the coffee table.

Erik could easily see doing this every night for the rest of his life.

Kurt poofed in. "Lap," he declared, looking straight at Charles.

"Of course." Charles.

Erik nodded.

Kurt poofed himself onto Charles' lap, his legs draping onto Erik's. He beamed, white teeth dramatic against his indigo skin.

The rest of his life. Yeah. Definitely.


	8. Fireplace

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Parlorverse.

A blizzard was raging outside, and the forecasts predicted two more days of snow. The residents of the mansion had hunkered down to ride it out, though keeping the children inside was proving a challenge.

Raven was currently bribing the younger ones with hot chocolate and sugar cookies and games, whereas most of the older ones were restless and sulking.

Erik had built a fire, and he and Charles were cuddled together, playing chess. Azazel had delivered a tray of cocoa and cookies, then bamfed away in pursuit of his son.

Erik fed Charles a cookie, then kissed him. Delicious.


	9. Blanket

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Parlorverse. Part one of a larger story arc. Part two coming in a few days.

"A picnic?" Charles asked as Erik set a blanket and a basket on his lap.

"Trust me."

Charles did, so he hooked his hands through the basket handles and let Erik push him outside.

They travelled far, the path growing rutted and overgrown. Erik had to repeatedly levitate Charles' wheelchair over tree roots.

They arrived at a narrow trail on the far north of the estate, and Erik collected the basket and blanket, disappearing into the trees.

He returned quickly, lifted Charles from his chair, and carried him down the trail, using his powers to bring the chair along behind.


	10. Dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Parlorverse. Charles and Raven were prisoners in a lab for more than a decade.

Charles had nightmares, not every night, but often. Erik understood, too well, though his had had fourteen years to fade.

But they had found something that held the nightmares at bay, that gave him better dreams, something Erik was glad to do.

Charles needed to fall asleep in Erik's arms, his head snuggled against Erik's shoulder, with Erik's hand at the base of his neck, where he could feel it. He felt secure, loved, and that kept the dreams at bay.

Waking in Erik's arms was best of all, he said, and waking to a kiss was perfection.

Erik concurred.


	11. Holidays

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Parlorverse.

Erik surprised Charles with a bouquet of long-stemmed red roses.

“What are these for?” Charles asked.

Erik looked almost hurt. “It’s Valentine’s Day.”

Charles blinked. “I guess it is. Never had much reason to celebrate.”

“Until now.”

“Until now.”

Erik held out the bouquet, and Charles took it between his braced hands, burying his face in the fragrant blooms. “They’re beautiful.”

“As are you.”

Charles shook his head. “I’m not. I’m too pale and too skinny.” And getting skinnier, his muscles wasting from disuse.

“You’re beautiful,” Erik repeated, “And I’ll spend the rest of my life proving it to you."


	12. Anniversary

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Parlorverse. The first anniversary is the paper anniversary.

"Dinner. Out. Tonight."

Charles sighed. He hated eating out, dealing with the stares, the "what the hell happened to him?" curiosity, the all-too-frequent revulsion. Tuning it out gave him a headache, and Erik knew it.

"Please."

Charles sighed. "Why's it so important?"

"We met a year ago today."

Had it really been that long? "I hadn't thought about it," he admitted.

A flicker of disappointment on Erik's patrician features. "Will you still celebrate with me?"

Charles smiled. "Of course, love. Where are we going?"

"Tanaka's. I thought you'd like sushi."

"You'd be right. Now kiss me."

They were almost late.


	13. Children

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Parlorverse.

"What is this?" Erik stared dubiously at the foil-wrapped hockey puck.

"It's called a Ding-Dong," Charles said. "Your son loves them."

His son. An idea he was still getting used to, let alone the teenaged-delinquent reality. "I repeat, what is it?"

"A cake."

Erik peeled back the foil to reveal an innocuous-looking chocolate disk. Before he could pick it up, there was a gust of displaced air, and a bite mark appeared in the cake. "Pietro," Erik growled to empty air.

The boy appeared. "What?" And disappeared, along with another bite of cake.

Charles chuckled. "Share it with me. Quickly."


	14. Proposal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Parlorverse. Sequel to Anniversary.

Dinner was lovely. Erik had arranged for a private dinner in the tatami room, away from prying eyes, and now he held Charles, supporting him in his secure embrace, tenderly feeding him pieces of sushi, offering sips of warm sake and green tea.

Charles couldn't imagine anything better.

Once they were contentedly lingering over the last of their sake, Erik kissed the top of Charles' head. "Love you,_ Schatz._"

"Love you, too."

"I can't imagine life without you." Erik reached into his pocket, pulled out a ring. "Will you marry me?"

Tears blurred Charles' vision. "Yes."

Okay, this was better.


	15. Birthday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Parlorverse. Sequel to Chapter Nine: Birthday.

They emerged into a glade beside a bubbling brook. Erik set Charles on the blanket, his back supported against a stout tree, then sat beside him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "Happy birthday."

"What?"

"Raven told me that today's your birthday."

Charles was stunned. He hadn't celebrated his birthday in a dozen years, not since Shaw.

"I know why you haven't celebrated," Erik said, "but I thought we could start some new traditions."

He cupped Charles' chin in his long, elegant fingers, then kissed him, slow and sweet.

To new traditions, Charles thought, losing himself to the kiss.


	16. Wedding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Parlorverse. I apologize that I couldn't get a blue tint that worked on the Raven figure. Please yse your imaginations.

The brides were resplendent in matching champagne silk dresses, a dramatic contrast to Raven's fiery hair and blue skin, a softer highlight to Irene's honey-brown hair and rose-gold skin.

It was hard for Charles to remember they were barely eighteen and nineteen. They'd been together three years already, and were wise beyond their years.

They'd endured so much to arrive at this point, and Charles couldn't have been happier.

Erik appeared at his side to blot away his tears of joy. "Brings back memories."

Of their own wedding, nearly two years before. "Yes."

"Should we renew our own vows?"

"Yes."


	17. Sharing Food

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Parlorverse. Sequel to [Blanket](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20843006/chapters/49825919) and [Birthday](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20843006/chapters/50057750).

[ ](https://ibb.co/fCP38rH)

Erik unpacked a simple lunch, sandwiches and potato salad, brownies in lieu of cake, some apples, and a bottle of wine. He uncorked the wine and poured a glass to share while simultaneously using his powers to slice an apple. Showoff.

Erik took a sip of wine, then held the glass up for Charles to drink. The wine was earthy with an underlying sweetness.

Erik set the glass down, offered Charles an apple slice. Charles took a bite; Erik ate the rest.

He stroked Charles' cheek, leaned forward for a kiss. He tasted of apples and wine and himself.

Lovely.


	18. Music

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Parlorverse. Sequel to [Blanket](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20843006/chapters/49825919), [Birthday](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20843006/chapters/50057750), and [Sharing Food](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20843006/chapters/50125028).

[ ](https://ibb.co/G0nJLKx)

Erik took his phone, called up a playlist. Mellow pop spilled out, and Charles looked at him in surprise. "That doesn't sound like your kind of music," he said.

"It's not," Erik admitted. Raven made it for me. For you."

Charles smiled. "It's perfect."

Erik took Charles' hand in both of his and kissed it. "Happy birthday."

"You've made it perfect."

"It's just starting," Erik promised. "I have more planned." He scooted closer, wrapped his arm around Charles, kissed him.

"Tell me more."

"I'd rather show you." He kissed Charles again, gentle and thorough.

"I like the sound of this."


End file.
